Thomas w



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. LOFTON, OF KANSS CITY, MISSOURI.

BIER.

. SPEGIFICATION forming pa.rt of Letters Patent N0. 434,717, daced. August 19, 1890.

Appiicaoion fi1ed Occober 8, 1889.

T0 all whom it mag; concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. LOFTON, 0f Kansas City, J ackson county, Missoriri, have invented certain new and useful Improveinents in Extension and Oontraction Hand Biers, 0f Which ihe following is a fu11, clear, and exact description, reference heing had t0 the accompanying drawings, for1ning a part hereof.

My invention relates 110 an improvement in hiers; and itconsists in the n ovel eonstruetion and comhination 0f the various parts, as will hereinafter he fu1ly descrihed ancl claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aperspective view 0f my invention. Fig. 2 is a hroken away view in side eievation enlarged,

-showing more dist-inctiy the handles and ornamental hraces, also the standards npon which the hier rests. Fig. 3 is a perspective view 01: the rectangular iron 100p which guideS the side hars of the bien A represents niy improved hier, which cousists, essentially, of an upper frame-work supported upon lege located ab each end thereof. Said fra1ne is composed 0f side bars A A, sec ured together hy cross-pieces C C anti D D. The oross-pieces C O are so placed that their upper surfaee projects slightly above that 0f the hars A, and eonseqnently inhe casket rests only upon these erosspieces. 'lhe side bars A are forn1ed in sections B B, and are pr0vided with handies a atth eir outer ends. Each section has a portion cnt away for ehe greater part of its length, leavi ng a shoulder b at its outer end. This is done in order that the sections 1nay he piaced together in pairs, and when so plaeed will form hars having the same cross-section 'as each 0f them originally had. On these seetions B B, a short distance in advance 0f the shoulders b, is secured an iron frame 0r loop II of. rectangular form, and p'rovided with holes h,

through Which screws may he passed. Upon S6rial N0. 326,309. (N0 modei.)

one enc1 of the hier these Ioops are secured 130 the inside rail, While upon the ether end. they are secured to the outside rail. By this arrangement when ihe hier is extended the loops Will advance toward each other, thus affording support (0 ihe side hars where it is most needed.

The Iegs E, located one at each corner, are connected near their lower ends hy a crossrod F. They are also hraced hy rods G, which are seeured ab their upper ends to the frame. d represents a holt, by means 0f which 1'0(1 C is held in position.

The Iegs are provided ab their 1ower ende with rubber tips e, for the purpose of pre- Venting any unnecessary noise in m0ving the hier. c are also ruhher tips, uponwhich casket rests.

This hier, it Will he seen, can he extended or contraeted, as may he neeessary; hut should it he desired t0 make ibvery short the casket may rest upon hraces D instead of cross-pieces C, as wou1d he thecase when a easket; 0f ordinary size is placed upon alle hier.

Having th us deserihed rny invention, what I c1aim as new, an d desire t0 secure hy Letters Patent, is

An improved hier eonsisting of the side hars A, .cut away and shouldered, as descrihed, the erss-pieees0 C and D D, C011- necting said side hars, the loops H, secureci t0 the side hars, the elastic tips c, inserted in the cross-pieces O, and a suitahle support attached t0 each seciion of the side hars, near the outer end thereof, all arranged and adapted to operate snhstantially as shown and descrihed.

In testin1ony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. LOFTON.

Witnesses:

A. A. HIGDON, R. A. BALDERSON. 

